Learning to walk where Peter sank

So Peter stepped out onto the water and began to walk towards Jesus. But when he realized how high the waves were, he became frightened and started to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he cried out.

Matthew 14:29-30 (TPT)

   Ever wonder what Peter was thinking about when he asked Jesus to call him out of the boat to walk on water with Him? I mean he jumps out, walks a few steps, and then when he notices that the storm is still going on, he freaks out and starts to sink in fear. I sincerely think that Peter just assumed the storm would stop once he started walking in it. But why would it; the Messiah was walking in it and yet it raged on. It never hurt or distracted Jesus but it was very much still a storm. I think a lot of us do this also during the storms in our lives; well I can't speak for the rest of you but I know I do it.

   For those that don't know the end of the story, Jesus saves Peter, stops the storm, gets into the boat and rebukes the disciples for their lack of faith. For the longest time I thought He was upset at them because of the storm and thought that's not really fair, they can't help if storms pop up. Then I actually read the conversation, "What little faith you have! Why would you let doubt win?" Matthew 14:31 (TPT). In another instance where they are on a boat in yet another storm, this time Jesus is with them sleeping on the boat. He was right there with them! And again they got scared and actually woke Him up claiming that He didn't care that they were going to die! These were the guys who had seen Him perform countless miracles, even raising the dead. It makes me wonder why they were so afraid when He could just bring them back if needed. But again, I'm being too harsh on the disciples; if I was in that boat, I'm sure I would have done the same thing. Again He reprimands them, "Why are you gripped with fear? Where is your faith?" Matthew 8:26 (TPT). It took me quite a while to realize that He wasn't upset about them being in a storm, but that they lacked the faith in Him to be with them through the storm! I don't even think He was too upset that the storm scared them so much as that it scared them completely out of their faith in Him. Storms can be scary, terrifying, destructive, and deadly but if our faith in Jesus never wavers, we will never drown.

   Financial strain, medical diagnoses, death of friends and family, we all experience storms in life, heck daily life can sometimes just be a storm. There are days when it takes every fiber of my being to just get out of bed and start a new day; a storm has risen up. As I've been crawling, at times walking, and some days just staying still, I've begun to realize that I was looking, like Elijah, for God in the storm. Instead of focusing my eyes on Jesus, I kept looking all around for Him to be in the lightening, waves, and wind, when in actuality He has been standing right with me the whole time! How many times have we lost sight of Jesus not because we were "bad" but we simply started looking at the situation instead of Him? It's easy to do, life has some horribly overwhelming circumstances that come our way, ones that seem to stretch on forever with no end in sight. Jesus promised to be with us through every storm; notice He never promised storms wouldn't come up, quite the opposite in fact. But He did say, "And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age," Matthew 28:20. Every day. Let that sink in, really deep into your spirit. He will be with us every day, sunny or storm, good times or bad, joy and grief; Messiah has come and we will never be alone again.



*PS. Enjoy the video, yes I realize its an older song, but I love it.